Clause Pattern: Subject – Verb – Object – Complement
Understanding the construction and use of the subject – verb – object - complement clause pattern
This pattern consists of a subjectSee the glossary definition , a monotransitive verbSee the glossary definition , a noun phraseSee the glossary definition and a complementSee the glossary definition clause.
The complement clause may be a that-clauseSee the glossary definition , a wh-clauseSee the glossary definition , an infinitive clauseSee the glossary definition , or an ing-clauseSee the glossary definition .
That clauses
Animalssubject showtransitive verb usnoun clause that there are many places to make a home that clause . (Wishart 2020)
In some states yousubject are asked to notifytransitive verb the public health unitnoun clause that you’ve tested positive that clause . (Doddridge 2022)
Hoaxessubject, similar to disinformation, are created to persuadeintransitive verb peoplenoun clause that things that are unsupported by facts are true that clause . (Alsmadi and O’Brien 2021)
Remindtransitive verb yourselfnoun clause that you’re not the first person to procrastinate, and you won’t be the last that clause. (Sirois 2022)
Nevertheless, wesubject cautiously remindtransitive verb ourselvesdirect object that hominin evolution unfolded over many millions of years that clause . (Peppe, McNulty, and MacLatchy 2023)
Wh-clauses
The mix of colors in beach sandsubject tellstransitive verb younoun clause what kinds of rocks produced it wh-clause . (Montgomery 2019)
To be a good friend for our animals, we should give them the freedom to choose their own activities, and thatsubject will showtransitive verb usnoun clause what they like wh-clause . (Starling 2021)
So next time you hear someone declare they’re entitled to their opinion, askintransitive verb themnoun clause why they think that wh-clause . (Stokes 2012)
Your eyessubject Remindtransitive verb tellnoun clause what it sees wh-clause and the brain fills in the missing information. ((Berg 2019)
Infinitive clauses
For instance, one studysubject askedtransitive verb participantsnoun clause to do either one task or two tasks at the same time to-clause . (Vasilev 2019)
Urgetransitive verb your universitynoun clause to divest from fossil fuels, use renewable energy and commit to achieving net zero emissions – soon to-clause . (Mocatta and White 2020)
With recent advances in AI made famous by ChatGPT, spammerssubject could haveintransitive verb new toolsnoun clause to evade filters, grab people’s attention to-clause and convincetransitive verb usnoun clause to click, buy or give up personal information to-clause . (Licato 2023)
The fundamental question is why are we allowing the people with the most privilege and powersubject to convincetransitive verb usnoun clause to delay saving our planet from climate change to-clause. (Maslin 2019)
Isubject always advisetransitive verb politiciansdirect object to spend time with these innovators and to feed off their energy to-clause . (Mulgan 2022)
Ing-clauses
Wesubject can seetransitive verb lifenoun clause evolving all around us ing-clause . (Graves 2019)
The next time yousubject seetransitive verb an antnoun clause crawling up a wall ing-clause , look closely and you might witness some of these fascinating features at work. (Cassill 2022)
Rather than an explosion, it was a very rapid expansion, the event thatsubject startedtransitive verb the universenoun clause growing bigger and bigger ing-clause . (Lam-Cassettari 2019)
Have yousubject ever heardtransitive verb someonenoun clause talking to a baby with a funny voice that sounds almost like they are singing ing-clause? (Quinn and Mehta 2020)
They kill any cells that get infected to stoptransitive verb the virusdirect object from spreading within our body ing-clause . (Peppe, McNulty, and MacLatchy 2023)
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